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SmiKar Software
Squirrel · SharePoint Online archiving

Archive SharePoint. Keep your data. Cut the bill.

Squirrel is the SharePoint archiving solution that automatically moves inactive SharePoint Online documents into archive storage in your own Azure Blob account. Most enterprises save 60-85% on their SharePoint storage costs - without users ever noticing a file moved.

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Focused setup engagementData stays in your Azure subscriptionPurview-compatibleAI document summaries
Squirrel storage size dashboard
60–85%

SharePoint storage cost typically saved

1-click

User-led restore from inside SharePoint

Your tenant

Archive data resides in your Azure subscription

Features

Everything you need to archive at scale.

Eight years of building SharePoint tools, in one focused product.

AI document summarisation

Squirrel's Nutshell engine generates a concise summary of every archived document and embeds it in the SharePoint stub - keeping content findable for users, SharePoint Search and Copilot.

Up to 85% cost reduction

Move cold SharePoint documents into cheap Azure Blob tiers. Most enterprises save 60-85% on their SharePoint storage costs with Squirrel running.

One-click self-service restore

Archived files leave a stub in SharePoint with the original name. Users restore in one click, immediately - archives sit in the Azure Cool tier, so there is no rehydration wait and no restore fee from Squirrel. No IT ticket required.

Data stays in your tenant

Your SharePoint archive storage is your own Azure Blob Storage account in your subscription. Encrypted at rest, compressed before upload, governed by your policies - the archived data never leaves your Azure.

Findable while archived

Stub files stay indexed by SharePoint Search, the OneDrive client and Microsoft Copilot - so users discover and cite archived content without rehydrating it first.

Deployed in your region

Squirrel runs in the same Azure region as your tenant - keeping data residency, latency and compliance aligned.

Doesn't break OneDrive sync

Squirrel's stubbing leaves a lightweight placeholder file in the OneDrive-synced SharePoint folder, so the sync client keeps working and the folder tree stays intact in File Explorer - no sync errors, no broken or missing folders. Users click any stub to rehydrate the file on demand from your Azure storage. Unlike Microsoft 365 Archive, which strips a file's sync state and pushes users to the SharePoint web UI, Squirrel restores from where people already work.

Comprehensive reporting

Track usage, savings, lifecycle activity and storage growth across every site and library - built for compliance, surfaced for ops.

Nutshell AI

Stubs that say something.

When Squirrel archives a document, our Nutshell engine writes an AI-generated summary into the stub left behind in SharePoint. SharePoint Search, the OneDrive client and Microsoft Copilot all pick that summary up - so archived content stays findable, citable and useful, even before it's rehydrated.

  • Summaries embedded directly into stub metadata
  • Indexed by SharePoint Search and Microsoft Search
  • Copilot citations point to the right archived document
  • Users decide whether to rehydrate based on what's inside
Read more about Nutshell AI
Nutshell AI summary embedded in a SharePoint stub file

How it works

Three moving parts. No surprises.

01

Connect your tenant

SmiKar deploys a dedicated Squirrel instance in your Azure region, with least-privilege access to your SharePoint Online tenant and your Azure Blob Storage account.

02

Set lifecycle policies

Define rules for when documents should be archived - by age, last-access, library, file type, anything you can express against your SharePoint estate.

03

Archive runs itself

Eligible files are moved into your Azure Blob Storage account, encrypted and compressed, with searchable stubs left in their original SharePoint location.

Evaluating your options

Not ready for a demo? Start with the checklist.

A vendor-neutral guide to evaluating SharePoint archiving: restore, data ownership, Copilot impact, compliance, lifecycle, and true cost. For M365 and IT leaders.

Prefer to read it online first? The full guide is free on the site - the PDF adds a vendor scoring grid for your shortlist.

No marketing barrage - we may follow up once about your evaluation.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

How much can Squirrel actually save on SharePoint storage?
Most enterprises save 60-85% on their SharePoint Online storage costs with Squirrel deployed. SmiKar provides a free Savings Report from your tenant data - see the SharePoint Savings Calculator for an estimate based on your numbers.
Where does my archived data actually live?
In your Azure Blob Storage account, in your own subscription, in the Azure region you choose. Data is encrypted at rest and compressed before upload. SmiKar manages the encryption keys for archive operations and provides you with a copy for independent access. Restoration is via Squirrel itself.
Can users find and restore their archived files?
Yes. Squirrel leaves a stub file in the same SharePoint location with the original document name. Users can click a Squirrel button directly in SharePoint to rehydrate - no portal, no ticket, no waiting on IT.
Does archiving break SharePoint Search or Microsoft Copilot?
No - and in fact it makes them smarter. Nutshell AI generates an embedded summary of each archived document and stores it in the stub. SharePoint Search and Copilot index those summaries, so users (and AI agents) can still find archived content by topic.
Does archiving break OneDrive sync or File Explorer?
No. Squirrel uses stubbing - a lightweight placeholder file stays in the OneDrive-synced SharePoint folder, so the sync client keeps working and the folder tree stays intact in File Explorer, with no sync errors or missing folders. Users click any stub to rehydrate the file on demand from your Azure storage. This is a key difference from Microsoft 365 Archive, which strips a file's sync state and requires reactivation from the SharePoint web UI.
Is Squirrel a hierarchical storage management (HSM) solution?
Yes. Squirrel is a hierarchical storage management (HSM) solution for SharePoint Online: it tiers inactive documents out of premium SharePoint storage into low-cost Azure Blob Storage and leaves an indexable stub behind, driven by automated lifecycle policies. Unlike legacy HSM tools, Squirrel writes the archived data into your own Azure tenant - SmiKar never holds a copy.
Is Squirrel compatible with Microsoft Purview and retention policies?
Yes. Squirrel operates alongside active Microsoft Purview retention policies - nothing needs to be removed or disabled for archiving to run - and retention and sensitivity labels are preserved through the archive and restore cycle. Every archive and restore action is captured in a full audit trail, and because the archive sits in your own Azure storage you can apply retention and immutable (WORM) tiers on top.
How long does it take to deploy Squirrel?
Squirrel includes a focused professional-services setup engagement to configure your environment correctly from day one - tailored to your tenant size, governance and lifecycle policy requirements.
What does Squirrel cost?
Squirrel uses an annual platform fee sized to the volume you want to archive, plus a per-TB-per-month archiving fee. There is no charge for restoring files. Contact us for a tailored quote.

More on Squirrel

All products
Savings calculatorSelf-service archivingData rehydrationRecycle bin captureAI stub summaries (Nutshell)Security & detection (Burrow)AvePoint alternativeSharePoint archiving vs deletionImproving SharePoint performanceGuide to archiving softwareMicrosoft 365 Archive vs SquirrelMicrosoft 365 Archive alternativesBuyer's guide & checklistSharePoint archiving: the complete guideSharePoint document lifecycle explainedJoin the Squirrel partner network

See your numbers in 30 minutes.

We'll run a free SharePoint storage assessment against a sample of your tenant and show you exactly how much storage Squirrel can recover.

Request your assessmentOr start with the free tool

Talk to us

Book a demo or request your assessment.

Tell us a little about your SharePoint Online estate and we'll take it from there - a live walkthrough of Squirrel, or a free storage assessment run against a sample of your own tenant. We reply within one business day.

  • A walkthrough tailored to your tenant and governance
  • A free storage assessment against your own data
  • No obligation and no marketing list

We'll reply within one business day. No marketing list - promise.

Technical deep dive

Get the Squirrel whitepaper.

The full technical case - architecture, deployment model, security controls and a worked cost-savings example for IT, security and procurement teams evaluating Squirrel.

  • AI-powered stub summaries for SharePoint Search and Copilot
  • Encryption at rest and in transit (RFC 8032, FIPS 186-5)
  • Per-customer deployment in your Azure region - dedicated, not shared
  • SharePoint vs Azure Blob Storage cost model and ROI

Get Squirrel whitepaper

Architecture, security model, deployment options and the technical case for Squirrel.

Direct download after you submit - no account required.

Customer evidence

Three customers. Over $2.1M per year saved.

Real Squirrel deployments at scales from 20 terabytes to over a petabyte - Fortune 500 healthcare, FTSE 250 engineering, and mid-market financial services. The same per-terabyte economics; three different stories.

  • Fortune 500 consumer healthcare: 1.4+ PB estate, 600+ TB archived, ~$1.44M / year saved
  • FTSE 250 engineering group: 460 TB to 165 TB, ~$708K / year saved, Nutshell AI for Copilot grounding
  • Mid-market financial services: 20 TB archived during a planned legacy file-server migration
  • ROI methodology to translate per-terabyte economics to any tenant size

Get Squirrel Customer Case Studies

Three real Squirrel deployments - Fortune 500 healthcare (600+ TB archived), FTSE 250 engineering (460 TB to 165 TB), and mid-market financial services. Over $2.1 million per year saved combined.

Direct download after you submit - no account required.

Ready when you are

Cut your Microsoft 365 storage bill - keep your data in your tenant.

Book a demoSee Squirrel